Roy Keane has made an admission that might stun fans of former club Manchester United, revealing he would jump at the chance of managing Liverpool.

Keane is a legend at United, winning seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and a Champions League crown during his time at Old Trafford. A no-nonsense skipper, Keane's belligerent style was loved by United fans and despised by rivals Liverpool.

His final United game was actually played at Anfield, when a challenge from Luis Garcia forced the midfielder off the pitch. Since then Keane has been frequently critical of United, who he still demands exceptionally high standards of in his current punditry role.

It is highly unlikely he would ever be considered as Kenny Dalglish's successor at Liverpool, but Keane offered advice to Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers, both linked to the Anfield vacancy. In Keane's mind, either man would be foolish to turn down a job offer to stay with Wigan and Swansea respectively.

"Timing is everything for a manager - far more important than for a player," Keane wrote in the Sun on Sunday. "That's why the likes of Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers have to think carefully about their next move.

"I'm speaking from experience. In my last season at Sunderland we were talking about a new contract after we made a decent start. Four weeks later I was out of a job. You can be hailed as the next best thing one minute then the next thing you know you're sacked.

"Now is the time for [Martinez] to go and if I were him I'd jump at the chance to go to Liverpool. It might not be the best time in the club's history but it's still a great job.

"Liverpool will always be a bigger club than either Swansea or Wigan and if a chance comes to go there, you've got to take it because it might never come around again.